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The more things change, the more My Bloody Valentine remain the same. Which is to say: Unpredictable, uncompromising, sometimes frustrating and often glorious. Last week, nearly 22 years after we last heard from enigmatic singer-guitarist Kevin Shields and his shoegazing pioneers on 1991’s Loveless, they suddenly and unceremoniously unleashed this long-gestating third album on an unsuspecting world via the Internet. Amazingly, it sounds as if they’ve never been away. The bulk of these nine songs resurrect the band’s unshakable sonic trademarks: The woozy quicksand pacing, the majestic guitar abrasions, the luxuriously cavernous ambience, the spectral vocals that drift by like clouds. In fact, it’s all so familiar and comfortable that it can underwhelm— did we really wait a generation for this, you wonder? But two-thirds of the way through, the nostalgia trip ends and Shields plays catch-up with tightly wound blasts of looping, whooshing electronica that point toward a bold future. While you wait for that to materialize in 2035 or thereabouts, this momentous comeback should tide you over nicely.

RATING: 4 (out of 5)

SKIP IT

Adam Ant
Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter

No more Mr. Goody Two-Shoes. Troubled has-been Ant’s first disc in 18 years shuns the tribal twangabilly of old in favour of rambling folk-rock and midtempo ballads. Pity the shambling 68-minute album’s few bright spots get lost in a sea of ramshackle recordings and half-baked tunes that sound made up on the spot. More car-crash than comeback.

RATING: 2 (out of 5)

Destiny’s Child
Love Songs

Yes, Beyonce and her girls just did the Super Bowl. And yes, Valentine’s Day is coming up. Even so, nobody needs this. True to its title, this compilation focuses on DC’s soft, silky and soulful side. But aside from the so-so new cut Nuclear, everything else is previously released and eminently forgettable — and the closest thing to a hit is a Say My Name remix. Just say no, no, no.

RATING: 1.5 (out of 5)

ALBUMS

Josh Groban
All That Echoes

To rock or not: That is the question. For Groban, the answer is: Yes, but just a little. The classical-pop superstar nudges the boundaries on his sixth disc, spiking his soaring popera arias with a dash of punchier fare. The result: An album for Granny AND Mom!

RATING: 2.5 (out of 5)

Harry Connick, Jr.
Smokey Mary

Mardi Gras is almost here. And New Orleans icon Connick gets the party started with a rollicking disc of Crescent City funk and boogie that revisits his mid-’90s sound — and celebrates the 20th anniversary of his parade krewe. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

The concept behind the Burlington post-hardcore band’s seventh disc: Parallel songs about small twists of fate creating major changes in life. The reality: An album whose bold artistic ambitions and intricate intensity are undercut by its dated stylistic template.

RATING: 3 (out of 5)
Shawn Desman
Alive

Pop music is meant to be disposable. But not this disposable. The uninspired tunes on quivery-voiced Canadian dance-popper Desman’s fourth disc are so forgettable they vanish from memory moments after they end. The musical equivalent of Memento.

RATING: 2 (out of 5)

Robert DeLong
Just Movement

If you want something done right, DIY. One-man band DeLong is living proof — armed with an array of machines and sharp songcraft, the Seattle native fashions a remarkable debut disc that hits the sweet spot between EDM, synth-pop and indie-rock. Just superb.

RATING: 4 (out of 5)

Magneta Lane
Witchrock

Toil and trouble. Seems the female Toronto power trio have had their share lately. But after four years, they’re back with a new EP that fuses stylish production and sharp songwriting with old-fashioned power-chord rock muscle. They’ll put a spell on you.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

British Sea Power
From the Sea to the Land Beyond

The U.K. indie-rockers’ new album is out in April. But you can whet your appetite with this suitably cinematic and shapeshifting soundtrack to a new documentary featuring archival footage of the British coastline. As usual, they’re in a world of their own.

RATING: 3 (out of 5)

Adam Green & Binki Shapiro
Adam Green & Binki Shapiro

He was half of N.Y.C. anti-folkies Moldy Peaches. She fronted L.A. pop-rock outfit Little Joy. Together they resurrect the spirits of Lee and Nancy (or perhaps Serge and Jane) with their muted, melodic homage to late-’60s folk-pop melancholia. A fine match.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

BEST OF THE REST
Retribution Gospel Choir
3

They’re in it for the long haul. Seriously. For their third disc, Low leader Alan Sparhawk and his side project stretch out with a 41-minute album comprised of two — yep, just two — majestically sprawling guitar-hero afterburners. Take that, Neil Young.

RATING: 4 (out of 5)

Night Marchers
Allez Allez

Rocket From the Crypt Fans are in luck. To go with the indie-rock scrappers’ impending reunion, frontman Speedo is back with his other band’s second CD — and it’s got enough chuggy beats, choppy riffs and rusty barking to hold you until showtime.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

Mike Cooley
The Fool on Every Corner

If Cooley’s name rings a bell, you must be a Drive-By Truckers fan. And if you’re a DBT fan, you’ll want to hear the southern-rockers’ dark-horse singer-guitarist deliver hickory-smoked, low-lit acoustic versions of his literate compositions. Crack some bourbon.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Buke & Gase
General Dome

Those aren’t names, they’re instruments. The female vocalist in this Brooklyn duo plays a baritone ukulele. The guy has a guitar-bass hybrid. They use them — with effects and percussion — to create angular indie-pop as unconventional as their tools.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

COLUMN

Say what you will about the music industry, it never forgets an anniversary. Nor does it miss the chance to commemorate the occasion with a new reissue. Some of the latest guests of honour:

The Texas guitar slinger vaulted from regional star to international phenom with the Hendrix-inspired pyrotechnics and blues-rock propulsion of his 1983 debut. This version adds a typically incendiary live set — that includes three Jimi covers, natch.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

Nick Drake
Pink Moon: Vinyl Box

The late British sad sack’s revered final album has been reissued umpteen times since 1972. This one comes on audiophile vinyl with handwritten lyrics, a poster and access to downloadable versions — including one played on his family’s turntable.

RATING: 4 (out of 5)

Interpol
Turn on the Bright Lights: 10th Anniversary Edition

Say hello to the angels again. One of the most acclaimed albums of 2002, the influential New York post-punk revivalists’ wiry debut was reissued late last year with 17 bonus tracks, including B-sides, demos and live tracks from a John Peel BBC session.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

SINGLES
Depeche Mode
Heaven

Depeche Mode have got the blues. The first single from their March 26 album Delta Machine is a suitably smouldering ballad built from low-twanging guitar, minor-key keyboards — and Dave Gahan’s beautifully moody croon. A little slice of you-know-what.

RATING: 4 (out of 5)

Cee-Lo feat. Lauriana Mae
Only You

From Forget You to Only You. Cee-Lo Green reverts to his lover-man persona for his latest number, professing his love to Winehouse-like duet partner Mae over a neo-soul track that enhances its old-school sensibilities with contemporary sonics and production.

RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)

Drake
Started From the Bottom

Sometimes less is more. But perhaps not this time. This sneak peek at Drake’s upcoming third album seems more like a sketch than a song, with Drizzy mostly just chanting the title phrase over a sparse beat and one-finger piano. He can do better than this.

RATING: 2.5 (out of 5)

DVDs

Whitney Houston
We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute

Still haven’t got your fill of posthumous tributes to the troubled diva? Mark the first anniversary of her Feb. 11 death with this DVD, which includes a star-studded 2012 TV special with Celine, Britney and many more — plus eight of Whitney’s videos.

RATING: 2.5 (out of 5)

Gavin DeGraw
Sweeter Live

From his ever-present hat to his faceless soul-pop, DeGraw is so generic his name may as well be a bar code. This garden-variety live gig from a California fair won’t do much to change that — but you aunt might enjoy listening to the CD in the minivan.